Wrist Distorsion / Wrist Fracture

A fall on the outstretched hand is the most frequent cause of a wrist injury. Most commonly, a fall on the outstretched hand results in a fracture of the end of the radius bone (and perhaps ulna) near the wrist. Appropriate treatment of this injury is important because wrist function is imperative in our daily lives. Most distal radius fractures are displaced, and/or the bone is in multiple pieces, requiring either surgical intervention or lengthy immobilization in a cast.

If the fall results in a fracture of one of the carpal bones, the scaphoid is the most common carpal bone to break. This bone can require extended periods of immobilization to heal and may be hard to see on an initial x-ray.

The fall may cause a wrist sprain which can be difficult to precisely diagnose because of the complexity of the ligaments.